Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal isn’t backing down after receiving hateful messages from MAGA critics following her viral remarks against ICE and the Trump administration after the deadly Minneapolis shooting of Renee Good.
According to Axios, the sheriff’s office received several messages on its website directed at Bilal, some of which referred to her as a “DEI hire” and a “disgrace to the uniform.” One person went as far as to say of Bilal, “It’s because of Blacks like you that Americans have Black fatigue.”
Despite angering the supporters of President Donald Trump and his aggressive immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota and cities across the country, Sheriff Bilal told Axios, “I’m not scared of these people.” However, she said, “I will do whatever it takes to keep myself and my family safe.”
Bilal, a Democrat re-elected by Philadelphia voters in 2023, is seemingly aware of the potential consequences of her fiery remarks against the Trump administration, including calling ICE “Trump’s army,” who she said are “attac[king] citizens of the United States. She cautioned that Philadelphia should be prepared for the possibility of an increase in ICE activity and urged residents to remain peaceful during protests. She advised them not to allow federal law enforcement officials to “put you off your square.”
Last week, Bilal went viral when she issued a stern and direct warning to ICE and federal officials after Good’s tragic Jan. 7 fatal shooting in Minneapolis.
“You don’t want this smoke, cause we will bring it to you,” Bilal said during a Jan. 8 news conference. “The criminal in the White House will not be able to keep you from going to jail.”
Bilal made history in 2019 when she became the first woman and Black woman elected to the office of Philadelphia Sheriff. She was re-elected in 2023 and holds the position until 2028.
Prior to her historic election, Bilal served in the Philadelphia Police Department for 27 years. She also has a background in civil rights and activism, having served as secretary of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP and as president of the Guardian Civic League, a law enforcement community oversight organization, according to the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office. Bilal also worked as an appointed member of the Philadelphia City Council’s Special Committee on Child Separations.
